Mainz is the capital of the Rhineland-Palatinate state in Germany, located on the west bank of the River Rhine. It is a home to a little more than two hundred thousand residents and is particularly famous for the invention of the movable-type printing press by Gutenberg.

Like a lot of other similarly sized German cities, Mainz is often overshadowed by larger cities like Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, and Hamburg. But that certainly does not mean there is nothing to see -- in fact, the exact opposite. The city has a very rich past and plenty of impressive architecture, a lot of which was reconstructed after the bombing during World War II, so there are actually quite a lot of interesting sights to check out during your stay. Some of the most fascinating are two medieval towers; the Iron Tower (Eisenturm) and the Wood Tower (Holzturm); The Gutenberg Museum, which displays printing equipment as well as examples of printed material like the original Gutenberg bible; Mainz Cathedral; churches of St. Stephan and St. Augustine; Sooneck Castle; the Electoral Palace, the Museum of Ancient Shipbuilding; and The Sacred Site of Isis -- Mater Magna.

While Mainz may be often overshadowed by more famous German cities, but it is still a relatively well-known city and has a lot to show, so it comes quite as a surprise that Mainz hostel options are really limited. It is probably a good idea to book a room in advance if you plan on staying during busier times of the year.